A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
by Merlana
Summary: You are the captain of the Tiny Dancer, and meet up with a certain pirate captain, you discover the body of a good friend of Jack's, you both head off to find the men who did this, and in so doing get closer...COMPLETE
1. Ask The First Mate First

A/N: Okay, first off ... Johnny Depp is the hottest thing on two legs! Anyway, trying a new thing here, I've now seen POTC about four times, and can recite most of Johnny's lines, and decided to put up a fan fic, it took a while to figure out what I was going to write about. I want to say right off, this format may be recognizable, I be borrowing it from another author, - -lover-08. I liked the way it made the story more interesting to read and I thought I'd try my hand at it as well. Wherever there is a parenthesis with the words: your name in it, insert your name. This is a You-Jack story. Yours, Merlana~ Disclaimer: Hey there, Merlana's disclaimer here! Merlana would like me to let you know that Jack, Ana, Will, Elizabeth, and any other recognizable POTC characters are not hers. They belong to Disney, and she is very appreciative of the fact that Disney created them and will not claim to own them. She would also like me to tell you that Jack-Sparrow-lover-08 gave her the idea for the format of this story. Thanks, bye! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 1: Ask the First Mate First You breathe in the salty sea air as you gaze out across the blue ocean. Nothing to see but water and sky on all sides. Your hands grip the wheel and you stand tall on the deck overlooking your bustling crew. A man comes bounding up the steps to the wheel, his face flushed and his eyes darting around nervously. Your scarlet parrot settles on your shoulder as you give the man a disarming grin. "Ack, silver and gold, ack!" The parrot mutters. "Cap'n! Good day to ya!" The crewman says, and suddenly his name bounds into your head. "Lovely mornin' to ya, Raycraft!" You say, taking his outstretched hand in greeting. "What brings ye to me so early today?" "Ah, I was jus' noticin' that you seemed, ah, a little distracted yesterday. Ah, I was, ah, wonderin' why?" Raycraft asks. He shifts nervously as you glare at him. You were distracted yesterday, if only because you'd been invited to dine with Jack Sparrow in Tortuga tonight. "You mayn't ask me why. But I'll tell ya one thing; we're headed for Tortuga. I'm dinin' there with a good friend tonight." You say, moving away from the wheel. You smooth down your black skirt and readjust the tri- cornered hat on your head. The day already promises to be a scorcher. As you descend onto the main deck, the crew notices you and many turn to have a look. "Back to your duties, ya mangy dogs!" You bellow and everyone but your first mate, Anamaria goes back to work. "Cap'n! You're lookin' lovely this mornin'!" Anamaria yells to you. You stop and wait for her to catch up. "Mornin' Ana, We're headin' for Tortuga, set me a course, I'll be in me cabin." You say, and Anamaria heads off through the throng that is your crew. You see her barking orders at the crew and they all seem to jump when she says jump. You head to your cabin shaking your head. Once inside, you take off your hat and settle at your desk. Your parrot, Quicksilver, flies off to settle on his perch in front of the cabin window. You've got to see to the ledgers, and the books. Your ship is legal, and you'd like to keep it that way, and to do that, your books have to be clean and up to date. Purchase orders and the like. You pull open a drawer in the desk and take out a pen and an inkpot. You start to write, but soon get bored of doing the ledgers. You pull out a fresh sheet and begin to draw. ~ 2 Hours Later ~ You have finally finished your drawing. Without thinking you have drawn Jack Sparrow. Everything down to his gold teeth and dreads are dead on. It's a perfect likeness. A knock sounds on the door; you hurriedly put the drawing under the ledgers and pretend to be pouring over the books. "Come!" You call. The door opens and reveals a crewman by the name of Katey. Her blonde hair cut short and her too large breeches make her stand out amongst the rest of the crew. Katey is the only other woman on the ship other than you and Ana. "Ack! Silver and gold, silver and gold! Ack!" Quicksilver croaks and you can't help but grin, stupid bird. "Cap'n!" Katey says, smiling. "Katey! What brings you here?" You ask, turning away from the books. "Does your parrot know how t'say anthin' else?" Quicksilver just looks at her and goes back to preening his brilliantly scarlet feathers. You could swear that he understands everything you say. Katey clears her throat, and you smile. "We're makin' good time for Tortuga. Ana wants to know if she can drop anchor off one of the barrier islands around Tortuga. She doesn't wanna go lookin' for the trouble she knows'll come." Katey says. You think about it, you'd really like to show Jack your ship but if Ana is worried, it's good thing to be worried about. "Alright. That's fine by me. Have her drop anchor off of Tilly Island. We'll be out of sight there." You say. Tilly is the closest island to Tortuga Cove but it's also the biggest. You could easily hide the Dauntless behind it. "Ah, Katey? Could I ask ya a question?" "Yeah. What be the matter?" Katey says, leaning against the desk. "I drew this earlier today, I know you've only met Captain Sparrow once, but can ye tell me if you think this looks like him?" You ask, pulling out your drawing. Looking at it makes you want to swoon. He's just gorgeous, a fine prize for any pirate lass.  
"Christ! Looks just like how I remember 'im. You should show Ana that, she'd like to see it I'm sure."  
  
"Yeah, and walk it back to 'er cabin so she can hang it on the wall." You laugh, setting the drawing back onto the desk. "Send 'er around, would ya?"  
  
"Aye cap'n!" Katey says, taking her leave of your cabin. Five minutes later, Anamaria comes in, forgetting to knock. You level a glare at her and she frowns, and you can't help but smile.  
  
"Look at this." You say, handing her the picture. You watch in amusement as her eyes grow wide and a smile forms on her face.  
  
"Who drew this?" She asks. You nod. "You did?" You nod again. "You've even got the hint of mischief in his eyes right. This is wonderful! Can I have it?"  
  
"No! 'Tis mine! Ye can't have it. I mean to give it to him, when we get to Tortuga." You say, taking back the picture and holding it to your chest. Ana looks at you, then smiles.  
  
"So, that 'tis why we're headed for Tortuga, eh?" Ana asks, her eyes laughing at you. "Fancy that, Cap'n (your name), and Captain Sparrow, eatin' dinner tonight t'gether." Ana muses.  
  
"Yeah, I was surprised when he asked me. I wonder what he wants?" You ask.  
  
"Oh, a pretty woman to wile away the hours with, great womanizer that man." Ana laughs, you can tell she doesn't believe a word of what she just told you. "He probably wants you to turn pirate, and then he'll try an' take your ship, wants to introduce 'imself as Commodore Sparrow, p'raps." Ana's face is serious as she says this.  
  
"Well, can ye fly under a pirates colors Ana?" You ask delicately. Ana seems to be searching for the right answer to the question. You know though, that whatever Ana says is what the crew will tell you.  
  
"I can, if ye wants to run them up, I'd do it meself." Ana says. "We'll need to rename this bloody ship though, Tiny Dancer be no name fo' a pirate ship." You grimace as Ana says the name of your ship, the Tiny Dancer, named by the late Captain Hargreave of the British Navy. It's a name befitting a pleasure craft, but not a pirate ship, Ana's right.  
  
"We'll see to a name later. Gather the crew, I mean to put this to all of them fair and square." You say. Ana shrugs and salutes you as she turns to leave. Well, Captain Sparrow, you've got another ship fo' your fleet now. I hopes that's what you wanted. You think to yourself. You carefully place the drawing back on your desk and place your hat on your head. You go to the door of your cabin, then stop, remembering something that Captain Hargreave once told you. "Ask your first mate first, then ask the crew. The first mate speaks for the crew anyway." You shake your head, pull your hat down on your head and step through the door. 


	2. My Kind o' Woman

A/N: Hey there! I'd like to thank my reviewers! Vanilla-smoothie188, Luckysparrow, - -lover-08, and dirty joke. You guys are the best! Thanks for the great reviews! Here's your next chapter dirty joke; you don't have to hold your breath anymore! In answer to a question that I was asked by Luckysparrow, Cotton's parrot and your parrot will get along great, good friends they do be already...Quicksilver and Mr. Cotton's parrot.  
Yours,  
Merlana~ Disclaimer: Merlana's disclaimer signing on.....now! The Pirates characters don't belong to Merlana, she's just borrowing them for the sake of literature. The rights to the characters belong to Disney, and probably Jerry Bruckheimer. It's sad though, cause she really likes Jack..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter 2: My Kind o' Woman  
As soon as your feet touch the deck outside of your cabin, a roar erupts from your crew. They are all gathered facing the door to your cabin. Ana hurries to your side.  
"Every man and woman on this ship is willin' to sail under your colors, cap'n." She says. Her eyes flash and a small smile crosses her lips. "There do be one or two who will not, bu' that can be fixed." She fingers her sword lovingly and glares at the two crewmen who won't sail under a pirates colors.  
"Thank ya Ana, but I'd like to deal with them traitors meself." You say, thinking of how nicely the earring on the man to the left would go with what you're wearing. "Do you two be traitors to me or to my colors?" You ask them.  
"We do not be traitors!" Says Pick, a short man with shifty eyes and wearing a dirty pair of breeches. He crosses his arms over his bare chest. "We do be honest men!" He shouts, and Vicker, the other crewman, nods his head in agreement. You should have known that Pick would try something like this, but not Vicker, he always seemed to know which way was up. You shrug and Quicksilver lands on your shoulder again.  
"Ack! Dead men tell no tales! Ack!" He mutters, and the implications of that statement are shown in the faces of your two former mates. Quicksilver goes right on preening his feathers as if nothing had been said.  
"You may be honest men, but you do be about to become gov'nors of that island!" You say, and your voice rings across your ship. Ana smiles approvingly and the crew mutters appreciatively.  
"But cap'n, we was jus', we only wanted-"  
"What?" You cut Vicker off with the coldest glare you can muster, it's hard because you've got to keep from laughing at the sight of these hardened men, weak- kneed and scared of their female captain. "What is you be wantin'?" You growl.  
"Nothin' cap'n, nothin' at all." Pick says.  
"I've no use for traitors!" You say. "Where be Raycraft?" You ask, turning back to the crew.  
"Here cap'n!" Says the tall, black man as he leaps up the stairs to meet you.  
"See that these two scabberous pigs become proper gov'nors of that island o'er there." You say pointing at a small spit of land off the port bow. As you turn to face the rest of the crew, you notice how many of them are grinning. Raycraft leads the two men to the plank. "Wait a moment!" You say. Raycraft turns and looks at you. "I want Vicker's earrings." You say. Vicker hurriedly removes them and places them in your outstretched hand.  
"Ack! Silver and gold! Ack!" Quicksilver intones.  
Katey laughs, her silvery voice soon joined by the rest of the crew. Vicker and Pick hang their heads. Raycraft grins and pushes them both out onto the plank, then throws one pistol over the side. Both men jump into the sea and a cheer erupts from your crew.  
"Back ta work, ya mangy dogs!" You bellow, and the crew scurries off to attend to the ship's duties. "Ana!" You call, "my cabin, now!" She follows you inside.  
As soon as you are both through the door she begins to laugh.  
"God Almighty! Vicker and Pick looked 'bout ready to wet themselves!" Ana laughs.  
"Yeah they did, didn't they?" You ask. Quicksilver takes off from your shoulder and settles on his perch.  
"Damn fool bird." Ana mutters, when Quicksilver narrowly misses her head.  
"Ana? Will ye help me find somethin' t'wear?" You ask, throwing open your wardrobe. "I've a date and nothin' t'wear." You begin pulling clothes out of your wardrobe.  
"Well, I s'pose. Can't say how much help I'll be though." Ana says smiling. *~* 2 Hours Later *~*  
"That be the one m'dear." Ana says as she does up the last button on your dress. It's black, floor length and cut in a deep v neckline. The whole dress is shot through with silver thread and edged in silver lace. Around your waist goes a chain of silver coins and a delicate belt knife. Ana hands you a pair of soft leather boots. Again, black and embroidered with silver thread. The boots reach to the tops of your calves and lace up the front, you slip them on your legs. You then place a knife in each boot. You put the drawing in your bodice. Ana goes out to see where you are.  
"Quicksilver? Be honest now, how do I look?" The parrot looks up at the sound of his name, then goes right back to sleep. "That good, huh?" You place a silver bracelet on your right arm and a bracelet set with onyx stones on the other. On your fingers go a ring with an ancient looking symbol on it and another with a black opal set in it. Around your neck goes a string of black pearls.  
You pull a small mirror out of your desk drawer and also a kohl stick and a stick of rouge. You outline your eyes with kohl and rouge your lips. You decide to leave your hair down, but braid some it into braids smaller than your pinky finger. Looking at yourself in the mirror, satisfied, you put your tri-cornered hat on your head and stand up.  
Ana comes in to your cabin as if on cue and she smiles as she takes you in.  
"Wow!" She exclaims. "You look like what I would imagine the woman Jack named his ship - The Black Pearl - after."  
"Thanks, I think." You say, smiling shyly at Ana.  
"We be comin' up on Tilly Island now, cap'n." Ana says. She hands you a pair of earrings, dangly things with opals on the ends of them. You take them and put them in your ears.  
"Perfect. These be yours Ana?" You ask. Ana nods. "Thank ye verra much."  
"No worries, you just have fun tonigh', savvy?" Ana says.  
"Land Ho!" Comes the cry from the crow's nest.  
"Drop anchor and take in the sails!" You say striding on deck. The crew, being mostly men, stares at you. "I said, drop anchor and take in the sails! Whatcha lookin' at? Get back to yer duties ya lecherous fleas!" You yell. "Raycraft, Ana, Jims and Katey! You're with me!"  
The four crewmen you trust implicitly gather and follow you to one of the boats. They lower it to the water and you all get in. Raycraft and Jims take the paddles and begins paddling towards Tortuga.  
Putting into dock at the pier you stride toward the Faithful Bride. It's probably the most respectable inn in the whole city and it's still full of drunks and whores. Ana, Katey, Raycraft and Jims follow you inside. Your eyes find Jack Sparrow immediately. Ana smiles and Katey looks like she's just seen heaven walking. Jims and Raycraft just shake their heads.  
"Good luck to ye cap'n." Jims says, his eyes are straying more often to your bodice than usual. You glare at him and he looks properly surprised, he shrugs then he, Ana, Katey and Raycraft head over to the bar.  
You make your way slowly through the throng of people gathered here and receive to many lecherous looks to count. One man is even so bold as to run his hand down your arm as you pass. A short, sharp, slap to the face solves that problem.  
"Here, luv. Come an' sit with me." Says a voice, slightly slurred and the breath reeking of rum.  
"Captain Sparrow?" You turn and see him up close for the second time. His hair is in assorted dreads and braids and held off his face by a red silk sash of sorts. He has a black gun belt on and his sword hangs from his hip. His billowing white shirt is unlaced halfway down and can see his finely muscled and tanned chest. His brown eyes take you in. You could swear they can see right into your soul. He grins lopsidedly and offers you his arm.  
"Here luv, 'ave a seat with Jack now." He says, pulling out a chair for you. "What's yer name luv?"  
"Captain (your name), of the Tiny Dancer." You say. Jack seems to come out of his drunken stupor when he hears your name.  
"The Tiny Dancer, eh?" Jack asks. He leans in close. "I've a proposition to make you."  
"Yeah? What you be wantin'?" You ask. Relaxing in Jacks presence.  
"How'd you like to turn pirate and sail with me?" Jack asks. He places a hand on you arm and looks you right in the eye. "Well? What'll it be?"  
"Captain, that is a most interesting proposition. Let's 'ave some rum and talk it o'er." You raise your voice to be heard over the din. "Aimee! 2 rums!"  
Jack laughs quietly to himself. "You're my kind o' woman, luv. My kind o' woman." You and him laugh together and you suddenly remember the drawing.  
"Jack?" He nods, you continue. "I have something for you." Jack looks up. He is interested.  
"What's that luv?" Jack asks, leaning in close to you again. You reach into your bodice and pull out the rolled piece of paper with your drawing on it. His eyes widen as you pull it out.  
"Here." You say, handing it to him. He slowly unrolls the paper and looks at it quietly.  
"Did you draw this?" Jack asks. You nod. He whistles through his teeth. "Wow. But, you know, I think there's somethin' missin'."  
"What's that?" You ask, scooting your chair over around the side of the table.  
"No rum." Jack says laughing. You sigh annoyed, you should have guessed, Jack and his rum. "But it 'tis really good. I'm impressed, I thought Anamaria could draw, but this beats all. Are ye sure ye mean for me to have it?" He asks, looking you in the eye again. You lean in close, and whisper to him.  
"O' course Jack. O' course." He eyes you strangely, than puts the paper down on the table. He reaches up and brushes his face with his fingers. You look down at his lips and notice that he's looking at yours. You look him in the eye again and he brings your face down to his. His lips touch yours and then he takes them away quickly. You bring his face back to yours and kiss him again. This time he doesn't take his lips away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I was in a romantic mood. I know that kissing in a bar isn't the same as kissing on a beach or at sunrise, but I thought that since Jack's favorite hangout is the Faithful Bride, he could kiss you for the first time there. Lots of kissing in a bar filled with whores.... Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. I have received lots of good feedback, but more is always nice. So, read and review and you may get virtual cookies! To all the people who have already reviewed me, have a cookie!  
Yours,  
Merlana~ 


	3. Blood Oath

A/N: Another chapter for all of you. I am flattered at the good reviews this story has had, and it's only got two chapters! Thank you to all my reviewers...you all get a cookie. Umm...what else did I want to say...nothing.... Thought I had something more to say...oh well... Yours, Merlana~ Disclaimer: Hey! Merlana's disclaimer here! Merlana is right now absorbed in the conducting of the entire soundtrack to POTC, so you'll excuse her if she seems distracted... Anyway, she wants me to tell you, that like usual, she doesn't own anything, such a shame though, cause she really likes POTC and would treat it like her firstborn child if she did own it... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter 3: Commodore Sparrow You pull away from Jack's lips, and upon opening your eyes, you notice Jack grinning stupidly at what he has just done. You also see Aimee standing off to one side holding two mugs of rum.  
"Ah, milady! Now that was a kiss." Jack says, fingering his beard and adjusting his hat.  
"Aimee!" You call; she blinks and slams the mugs of rum onto the table. She looks Jack right in the eye and slaps him square across the face. You stand outraged, but a firm grip on your arm cools your temper. You look down and see Jack looking up at you, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.  
"Wench! I would sugges' that ye be leavin' now. Me girl here, she don' like it when other women touch me." Jack smiles at Aimee and the stunned girl turns around quickly and stalks off. "Ow! No' verra nice, that wench." Jack mutters, rubbing his jaw. You can't help but grin as you sit down slowly.  
"Ye said somethin' earlier abou' me turnin' pirate." You prompt. Jack leans back in his chair and looks at you questionably.  
"Well? 'Ave ye got an answer yet, luv?" He asks, tipping his hat over his face mischievously.  
"I'm already a bloody pirate!" You say, laughing at Jack's very obvious confusion. "Me crew an' I turned this mornin', on the way 'ere."  
"Well, that makes me life so much easier." Jack says, comprehending. "What says ye t' sailin' under me colors?"  
"I says aye!" You say. Jack raises his mug and you crash them together in a toast of sorts.  
"Ye'll give me 'alf of your plunder." Jack says, his face in an expression that says that no is not an acceptable answer. You intend to give Jack no more than 25% of your plunder, and glare at him.  
"I'll give ye 25% of me plunder!" You say, sliding your belt knife out of its sheath. Jack thinks for a moment, and nods his head. "Only cause it's you luv." You lay your knife on the table. Jack looks down at it and a expression crosses his face. He looks at you, and you nod. He slides his own knife out of its sheath and places it on the table in front of you.  
"A blood oath?" Jack asks. You nod and pick up Jack's knife. He picks up yours and slices open his palm. Hissing at the pain he sets the knife down on the table. You feel so horribly guilty at Jack's pain. You pick up Jack's knife and slice open your palm, you gasp at the pain and Jack looks concernedly at you, his hand dripping blood on the wooden table.  
You lift your hand up as Jack lifts his up and you place them together, palm to palm. An oath of such power, blood to blood, skin to skin, can never be broken. By swearing this oath, you have given your ship to Jack and Jack has made an unspoken promise to protect your ship and crew.  
"Is that how it is t' be then luv?" Jack asks, wrapping his hand in a piece of scarf that another bar wench, not Aimee, has provided to the both of you. You wrap your hand as well.  
"Yes Jack. That's how it is t' be." You say. "A blood oath t' seal the bargain between us."  
"It do be Commodore Sparrow now, luv." Jack says, winking. He grins and takes your two hands in both of his. "Ye'll hafta change the name of yer ship. The Tiny Dancer is no name for a pirate ship. I be thinkin' somethin' along the line o' the Maiden's Sword."  
"Aye, aye, Commodore." You say, standing up and smoothing your skirts. You readjust your hat on your head, and Jack suddenly grabs your hand. "What?"  
"Your hair-why did ye do it up like that?" Jack asks, taking one of the small braids in your hair in his hands.  
"It was in the spur o' the moment. I jus' thought that it looked nice, why?" You ask. Jack looks like he wants to tell you something and you also see a strange light behind his eyes. It's different from the mischief in his eyes while he was insulting the waitress; it was more like a deep sadness, one that he hadn't ever squared with.  
"Nothin', jus' wonderin'." Jack says, grinning roguishly at you and offering you his arm. He picks up the drawing off the table. You glance at him, and he starts walking out of the Faithful Bride. You throw money on the table behind you. As soon as you are both outside, you take a deep breath of the salty sea air.  
"I must be goin' back to me ship luv. We'll meet in the mornin' t' discuss the finer points of this accord." Jack says, and turns to swagger away down the dock towards the boat that will take him back to the Black Pearl. He gets halfway down the dock before he turns back and nearly trips as he runs back to you. "I meant t' ask ye sooner, would ye be willin' t' join me fer a glass o' rum and a bit o' food tomorrow, on me Pearl?" Jack asks you. "Do bring Ana, she's right interestin' company." He adds.  
"Alright. I'll be on yer ship at sunset. Invite one of yer crewmembers, p'raps yer firs' mate? I've yet t' meet any o' them." You say. Jack nods and moves to steal a kiss. Dodging his lips you steal his hat. "I'll give ye this t'morrow, should ye be worth me time." You say, kissing him lightly on the nose. Jack is taken aback, no one, not anyone, touches his hat. And you've just managed to steal it right off his head. He splutters for a moment, and then shakes his head and glares at you.  
"Yer in fer it now, missy. I swears on the wrath of Poseidon, I'll be havin' me hat back by tomorrow nigh'." Jack says. He makes a swipe at his hat and you step away quickly. He huffs and then stalks off down the dock.  
"G'night Jack!" You call to his retreating back. He doesn't turn around, just raises a hand. Ana comes out from the bar, followed by a rather drunk Jims and a nearly sober Katey. Raycraft soon follows. "To the boats, ye drunken logs!" You say. Jims stumbles down the dock and nearly falls into the water as you step into your boat. Ana reaches out and catches him by the wrist.  
"Idiot." You can hear her mutter quietly and Raycraft laughs. Katey casts off the ropes and Raycraft takes the paddles again. Jims sits in the bottom of the boat with a dazed expression on his face and Katey and Ana sit on the one bench. You stand in the prow of the boat, tall and proud.  
"Did ye make an accord with Cap'n Sparrow?" Raycraft's deep booming voice asks.  
"Yeah, we'll be sailin' under 'is colors." You say, and Ana nods. Katey looks at you. "An' I 'ave 'is hat." You say, holding up Jacks tri- cornered pirate hat. Ana looks at you with amazement on her face. She laughs right out loud.  
"No one ever touches Jack's hat, how'd ye manage?" Ana asks.  
"Under 'is colors? What do ye mean?" She asks at the same time as Ana.. Katey is only newly a sailor, let alone a pirate, so you forgive her ignorance.  
"It means that we sail where Jack tells us to, and that 'is word is final. I'm 'is first mate, but I'm Cap'n of me own ship at the same time. We sail under 'is flag, which is the skull and crossbones." You say. Katey nods. "And Ana? Let's jus' say I have powers of persuasion." You say, winking.  
"Did ye give 'im the drawing?" Ana asks. She winks at you and Raycraft looks up.  
"What drawing?" He asks. "Ye mean the one that ye drew of Cap'n Jack?" He asks, and you sigh exasperatedly.  
"O' course I gave 'im the drawing! Do ye think I'm a simpleton?" You say heatedly. "An' it's Commodore Sparrow now, get it righ'." You say.  
"Aye Cap'n!" Your mates intone. You come up upon the ship and one of your crew sends down a rope. You climb up on deck and see that your crew is mostly abed, still not quite used to being pirates.  
You send Jims and Katey off to their cabins and give Ana and Raycraft the watch. You head to your own cabin and slip inside quietly. You light one of the many candles in your cabin; it gives off just enough light to see by. You take off all of your jewels, except for the string of black pearls. You've decided that, no matter what, those pearls stay around your neck. Black Pearls for the heart of the Commodore of the Black Pearl. Closing your eyes you can still feel his lips on yours, and still feel the touch of his hands on your face. You shake your head. No sense in dreaming, it doesn't get ye anywhere. You say harshly to yourself. You place your hat on the table and climb into your bed. You close your eyes and fall asleep with visions of Jack behind your eyes and his name on your lips. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: January 13th, 2004 - Orlando Bloom turns 27! Happy Birthday luv! He's a big boy now, and hopefully will be able to get over his inability to call Elizabeth by her first name now. Does anyone know when Johnny Depp's birthday is? I'm hoping to find piano music for the soundtrack for POTC, but it would need to be free...does anyone know where to find that? Hope you all liked my newest chapter! Review, and everyone who does gets a cookie!  
Yours,  
Merlana~ 


	4. Fly Away With Me

A/N: Hey! Yet another chapter from yours truly! Jack's a bit overly dramatic in this one though, just to warn you. He pulls a signature Jack halfway through though, to counteract his over acting. I'd like to thank my reviewers once again, such great comments! *Hands out cookies* I love all of you so much, that I'm going to try and put up another chapter really soon, but with exams.... I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Yours, Merlana~ Disclaimer: Hello, you have reached Merlana's disclaimer, I'm is not here at the moment, so if you'll kindly leave a message after the beep, I will try and get back to you. By the way, if you are calling about Merlana and her POTC story, she only owns the plot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter 4: Fly Away With Me You are awakened the next morning by a strange booming sound outside of your cabin. As you slowly sit up and your mind clears, you realize that someone is knocking on your door. You fall out of bed and throw on your robe.  
"What?" You call in a voice thick with sleep.  
"Cap'n! A is 'ere to see you." A voice calls from the other side of the door. Stumbling to your wardrobe you pull out your black skirt and a loose white shirt. Quickly putting them on, you run a hand through your sleep-mussed hair. Grimacing, you grab your hat and slam it on your head.  
"Aye! Send 'im in!" You call through the door. walks in a moment later. You stand, and wait until he has seated himself in your chair, feet on your desk before you speak. "Good mornin' Comm-" You begin, Jack cuts you off.  
"When it's jus' me an' you luv, ye can call me Jack. An' Cap'n will do jus' fine on deck." Jack says, and he smiles crookedly.  
"What is ye be wantin', Jack?" You ask, knowing full well that he wants to discuss your accord.  
"I wanted t' discuss somethin' with ya." Jack says, and motions you to sit down. "Ye look a bit stiff this mornin' luv. What's the matter?"  
"I 'ad a rough night." You say grinning. Jack nods and then winks at you. You laugh and lean against your desk.  
"Me crew is ready t' sail fer Port Royal. That be where we're 'eaded. 'Ave you any objections?" Jack asks, taking his feet off your desk and leans forward in his chair.  
"Save the most obvious? None." You reply. Jack nods. "We're goin' t' rename this ship today." You say, and searching through the papers on your desk. Jack looks at you strangely and you shake your head. Pulling out a map of the Caribbean Sea, you spread it out on the floor of your cabin. Jack kneels down beside you. "What route are we takin'?" You ask.  
"We'll be goin' the long way 'round. I don' wan' t' run inter the fleet. The Commodore's stationed in Port Royal you know." Jack says, and pulling a piece of charcoal from a pocket in the long black coat he's wearing he traces you a course.  
"Jack?" You ask. He looks up. "Me ship can't go all the way t' Port Royal without stocking up. Where d'you propose we do that?"  
"Aves Island. Lotsa pirates use it as a stock, so a small town 'as built up on the shore. There's a good bar there to." Jack says, and then winks at you. You feign ignorance and Jack shrugs.  
"Aves Island, sounds familiar. Why?" You ask. Jack thinks for a moment.  
"We're ya ever aboard a ship that chases rum runners?" Jack asks, you think back through your years on the sea and nod.  
"Yeah, I was aboard the Creation." You say, and Jack looks dumfounded.  
"The Creation? How's that?" He asks. "I was thinkin' that they didn't let women aboard that one at all."  
"Women? No. The Captain's daughter? Yes." You say. "Me dear ol' dad was the Captain of the Creation. We 'ad a splendid time cruisin' the Caribbean." You say, your voice dripping with sarcasm. You and your father had never had a very good relationship, he'd always wanted you to be a lady, and so had your mother. You had always wanted to be a captain on a big ship, one that sailed the islands of the Caribbean.  
"You father was Captain of the Creation?" Jack asks, his face ashen.  
  
"What's wrong Jack?" You ask. Jack looks about ready to faint, something about the Creation scares the hell out of him. He shakes his head as if to force whatever is bothering him to the back of his mind.  
"Nothing." He says firmly and you decide not to press the matter.  
"Ye see that painting o'er there?" You point towards a drawing hung on the wall. It's a picture of a large ship, and Jack stands up to go look at it. You follow him over. "That's yer ship Jack, the Black Pearl. I saw 'er one day an' the sight stuck in my mind until I sat down an' drew that."  
"You drew that? It's beautiful, she looks almost real." Jack says, fingering the painting. He looks over at you and then something else catches his eye. "Ye like me hat?" He asks, pointing to your bed. You'd thrown Jack's hat onto your bed last night before you'd fallen asleep and it had somehow ended up on your pillow. You blush and Jack smiles.  
"Sorry Jack, ye can 'ave yer hat back. I was jus' teasin'." You say. Jack lurches over to your bed and takes his hat back. He jams it onto his head and stands there with a stupid grin on his face. "May I ask why we're headed fer Port Royal?"  
"O' course ye may ask, bu' 'tis up to me whether I answer or not." Jack says and you roll your eyes. Jack looks slightly perturbed and then wanders over to your desk again. He squats down by the map and beckons you over. "We're goin' to Port Royal 'cause I wants to see me good friend Will. I 'aven't seen head nor tail of the lad since we fought Barbossa, neither of his li'l wife-Elizabeth." Jack says.  
"I've met Elizabeth, when we were children 'er father an' mine were friends. We used to play dolls t'gether." You say, slightly embarrassed about the doll-playing issue. Jack nods his head.  
"Ye'll like 'er husband, Will's a good man." Jack says, pulling you close. He gently kisses your lips and you break out of his arms. Jack looks confused and slightly hurt. He looks you in the eye and nods. "That's the way it is to be then?" You nod, not really understanding what Jack means. He stands up and heads for the door of your cabin. You get up slowly and follow him.  
Once on deck you call your crew to attention and Jack seems impressed by your ability to control a bunch of unruly men. Then he notices Katey and Ana. He raises his eyebrows. "Three women? Gibbs'll have a field day." He mutters under his breath.  
"Alrigh' mates!" You call and your crew quiets down. "This 'ere is  
. Ye'll treat him with every respect and courtesy you give me. 'E's the Commodore of our fleet and I expect all of ye to treat 'im as such." You say.  
"Aye!" Yells your crew as one.  
"Ana! Set me a course fer Aves Island!" Ana salutes you and hurries off to the helm. Katey comes running up to you.  
"Cap'n?" She asks. "Commodore." She says, tipping her head.  
"Yes?"  
"I was wonderin', are we gonna put inter port soon? I'm in need of some stuff fer the galley." Katey asks. You nod.  
"We're puttin' in at Aves. Commodore Sparrow says there's a li'l town there, I'm sure they'll have anythin' ye need." You say, and Jack nods as well. Katey inclines her head to the both of you and hurries back to her galley.  
"She cooks?" Jack asks.  
"Yeah, she's better than me an' Ana and the whole crew combined." You reply. "Katey's been on this ship as long as I've been Captain." Jack looks thoughtful.  
"D'you think she'd mind makin' dinner fer me, Jesse, Ana, and yerself tonigh'?" Jack asks. You must have looked confused because Jack continues. "I asked ye to dinner las' nigh', remember? Ye took me hat an' tol' me you'd give it back tonigh' at dinner. Ye asked abou' bringin' someone else, an' I suggested Ana. Then ye tol' me to bring someone as well. So, I chose Jesse, me first mate. Him an' Ana'll get along swell." Jack finishes, and you remember.  
"I don' know, ye'll have to ask Katey abou' cookin' yerself. I'll be on yer ship at sunset like I said las' night." You say. "Hadn't you better be getting back to yer ship? Where is that blasted thing anyway?" You ask. Jack doesn't say anything; he just looks at you.  
"Tryin' to get rid of Jack are ye?" He asks. You shake your head. "Well then, what be you tryin' to do?"  
"I be tryin' to get me ship ready to sail, an' I know ye have one that needs readyin' as well." You say, your voice coming out harsher than you intended. Jack steps away from you and you can see the hurt in his eyes.  
"Well, if that's the way ye want it to be, you can consider dinner off." Jack says angrily. "For yer information, me ship is around that point an' I swam." Jack says. You are angry with yourself for taking your fatigue out on Jack and move toward him.  
"Jack, I'm sorry. I'm jus' tired is all." You say, silently begging him to forgive you. He just glares at you.  
"Ye had yer chance luv." Jack says and takes a running leap off the deck. He dives gracefully into the water and swims away powerfully. You run to the rail and stare after him. Ana comes up beside you.  
"What 'appened?" She asks, her voice kind.  
"We we're supposed to 'ave dinner tonigh' on the Pearl, but he's mad at me fer snappin' at 'im 'n' now dinner's off. He jus' took off." You say. Ana places a hand on your shoulder.  
"Did ye tell 'im you was sorry?" She asks gently.  
"Yeah. I did, bu' the idiot-dammed idiot!" You yell the latter out over the water and Ana laughs.  
"Jack 'as a heart of gold. 'E's not really mad at ye, an' he'll want ye later. I promise." Ana says, leaving you to your silence.  
After a time, you see the Black Pearl coming into view. Jack is at the helm and he's smiling at you. The ship comes close and you can see him waving energetically at you. When you don't wave back his wave falters and he stops smiling as well. Ana looks puzzled at your coldness and raises her eyebrows at you. You ignore her and yell commands to your crew.  
"Hoist anchor! I wants us behind that ship!" You yell and the deck is buzzing with activity. Taking your place at the helm of your ship you steer in beside and behind the Pearl. As you follow the Pearl toward Aves Island, you finger the strand of black pearls around your neck. You close your eyes and feel the heat of the Caribbean sun on your face. Surprisingly it feels cool compared to the touch of Jack's hands on your skin. You shake your head and curse loudly. A crewman looks up at you and you glare at him. He shrugs and goes on with what he is doing. Jack looks back at you every once in while but you ignore him and soon he stops looking back at you. "Ana! Take the helm!" Ana nods and you take off for the mainmast. Climbing the rigging you order the lookout down. He nods and hurries off to find something else to do. You sit in the crow's nest and watch as the Pearl cuts through the blue-green water. The sun is hot on your head and your eyes are hurting from the glare of the sea. A footstep sounds behind you and you turn around sword half drawn. A figure, silhouetted in the sun hands you a kohl stick. "Here luv. It helps with the glare." The figure says, and you realize that it's Jack. He climbs into the crow's nest beside you and he puts an arm around your shoulders. You snuggle up to him, and he hugs you tight. "I'm so sorry Jack!" You say, and Jack nods. "It's okay luv. Me temper got the better of me as well." He says. You try to put the kohl on, but find you can't do it without a mirror. "Let me." Jack says and he takes the stick from you and leans in close. You can smell the rum on his breath and as he puts the kohl around your eyes, you realize why Jack does it all the time, it really does help. "Thank you." You say softly. Jack hasn't moved in inch from when he was doing your make-up and you gently brush his lips with yours. Jack stiffens but relaxes quickly and kisses you back. He drops the kohl stick on the floor of the crow's nest and pulls you into his arms. The kiss deepens and you forget about the Commodore, and about the Creation and about anything else that doesn't involve kissing Jack. "Luv?" Jack says, breaking the kiss. You open your eyes to find the rigging below the crow's nest filled with your crew. They are all catcalling and hooting. Jack grins and winks at you, your face flames bright red and you bury it in your hat. Jack laughs and then takes your hand. "Come fly away with me." He says, pulling you out of the crow's nest into the rigging. "Get back to yer duties ya flea-bitten curs!" You yell to your crew and they move hurriedly out of your way. Jack swings through the rigging and you follow him, keeping up, but only just. Climbing through the rigging is not something you do on a regular basis. He is suddenly gone from in front of you and you begin to panic. You feel a hand on the small of your back and breathe a sigh of relief. You are out over the water now, and the Pearl is anchored just ahead. You ship is dropping anchor as well. Jack runs nimbly ahead of you and jumps into the sea. You scream and run out to see if he's okay. You lose your footing and fall into the sea. You hit the water screaming and choke as your mouth fills with seawater. Kicking to the surface you find Jack swimming around you in circles. He's laughing his head off. Punching him playfully on the arm you dunk him and he comes up spluttering. "Don' make me 'urt you luv." He says mock-menacingly. A rope is thrown over the side of your ship and you grab onto it. Jack wraps his hand around it just in front of you and your crew hauls you both out of the water. Jack lands on his feet and then you come flying in after him and land behind him, stumbling a bit forward. Jack falls as you hit him and you land in a heap on the deck of your ship. "Cap'n! White sails on the horizon!" Calls the lookout. Suddenly Jack is on his feet helping you up. "I'd be much obliged if you'd give me a ride back to me ship." Jack says. You shake your head. "Sorry Jack. Not today." You say. Jack nods. "Guess I'll just have to swim." You laugh and Jack dives off the rail. "See you tonight!" You call after him. "Run up the colors! Trim sails and hoist anchor!" You call, striding toward the helm. Jack is back aboard the Pearl yelling orders to his men and you see the skull and crossbones flag come up. The chase is on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Yet another chapter...lots happened here. You know; this is the first day of exams, and I should be studying, but...writing is that much more fun. And besides that, it's a bloody snowday! The best part is that the sky is so blue and the sun so bright that if there weren't snow on the ground, I'd say it was July. It's a beautiful day! Hope that chapter was long enough...not that I get complaints...but just thought I'd try my hardest to make this chapter a long one. Read and review...I love checking my email to find another couple of reviews in it, it always brightens my day. So, brighten my day! Review! Everyone who reviews gets a cookie...a big chocolate chip one! Yours, Merlana~ P.S. Thanks to all those people who told me when Johnny Depp's birthday is. It's greatly appreciated! Merlana~ 


	5. Creation's Story

A/N: 'Ello again. Another snowday, another chance to sit and write when I should be studying for exams. Okay...thanks for all the reviews, it's greatly appreciated. Here's your cookie, dirty joke, a huge chocolate chip cookie! Also thanking vanilla-smoothie188, thanks luv...hope this chapter gives you butterflies as well, and I hope that those butterflies are the good kind... I should also say thank you to a person who doesn't read my stories online, she reads them during first period at school. Big shout out to Laura! Hahaha...now everyone who reads my story knows your name...and I laugh at you. On with the show this is it... Disclaimer: Merlana does not own anything. Why do I have to say these stupid lines? Can't you give me something more interesting to read? Get my agent on the phone! I can't work under these conditions! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Chapter 5: Creation's Story  
"'Ey Ana?" You call as you peer through your spyglass at the distant ship. "Does that ship look funny to ya?" Ana takes the glass out of your hands and looks through it as well.  
"Yeah, it does. It's not movin' Cap'n, jus' sittin' there." Ana says, handing the spyglass back to you.  
"Thought so." You mutter. "Ahoy the Pearl!" You yell, waving your hat. Ana takes up the cry and Jack turns to look at the both of you. You hear him yell to bring his ship about.  
"What's wrong luv?" Jack asks when his ship is close enough to yours to jump across.  
"That ship," you say pointing. Jack takes the spyglass from you. "It's jus' sittin' there. Somethin's no' righ' with it." Jack looks through the glass and a expression crosses his face. It's a mix between apprehension and surprise. He hands the glass back to you. "Well?" You ask.  
"That ship it's-that's the Creation." He says. You've never seen Jack look this upset except for when you mentioned the Creation this morning.  
"What? No, it can' be. The Creation sank nigh on three years past - lost every hand, includin' me dear ol' dad." You say. Jack motions to the spyglass and you look through it. Sure enough it is the Creation, but as far as you can tell, there is no one aboard. "Bloody 'ell!" You mutter. Jack nods in agreement and Ana looks confusedly at you both.  
"What in the name of Neptune is goin' on 'ere?" She asks, hands on hips. "Hmm?"  
"Long story." You and Jack say at the same moment. Ana glares at the both of you.  
"Well, 'ow abou' givin' me the short version?" She demands.  
"Ye'll hold yer tongue Ana, if I see fit ta tell ya somethin', ye'll know." You say harshly and immediately regret it. "Sorry Ana, bu' it's no' somethin' I wan' ta talk abou'." Ana walks away muttering something about the bloody captain and 'er bloody stories. "Jack?" You ask, and he jerks as if you've startled him. "Wha' is it abou' the Creation you ain't tellin' me?" Jack sighs heavily and takes your hand, squeezing it tight.  
"No' 'ere." He says gruffly, and you lead him toward your cabin. You close the door behind you both and motion Jack to sit down. He drops heavily into your desk chair. You pull open a small cabinet and take out a small bottle of clear liquid. You also pull out two glasses and slosh some of the liquid into them. You hand one to Jack and he glances at it warily. "Wha' is this?" He asks.  
"Vodka. 'Elps me think. Comes from a col' country on the other side o' the worl'." You take a sip and feel the alcohol burn as it slides down your throat. Jack takes a sip and pulls a face.  
"I'd rather 'ave me rum." He says, and you laugh.  
"It's an acquired taste me luv." You say taking Jack's glass and emptying it into yours. You reach into the cabinet again and pull out a bottle of the amber liquid that Jack is so fond of. You pour him a mug full and seat yourself on your bed. Jack takes a sip of the rum and grins.  
"This is 'eavenly!" He says. "Where'd ye come across this?" He asks, downing his glass. You smile and gesture to him to help himself to as much as he wants.  
"Me own private stores." You say in answer to Jack's question. "I know some rum-runners." Jack nods and pours himself another mug of the rum. You take a sip of your vodka and shiver as it pours down your throat. "Ye were sayin' somethin' abou' the Creation?"  
"Aye the Creation." Jack mutters. "'Tis no' a pretty story, or even a long one." He says, pausing to take a sip of his rum. "Ten years past, when I was but a lad of eighteen, me father was 'ung fer treason ta the crown of England." You must have gasped because Jack looks up out of his glass. "Was nothin' luv, me mother'd already been 'ung fer piracy." You cover your mouth with a hand to muffle a gasp.  
"Oh, Jack." You say. "Come sit with me." He gets up out of your chair and sits himself on your bed beside you. He brushes some hair off your face and kisses you gently on the forehead.  
"Don' worry abou' me luv. Ye wanted ta 'ear abou' the Creation?" Jack asks and you nod. Taking one of his hands in yours you look up at him. "Well, after me father was 'ung, I 'ad ta leave England. I 'opped aboard the firs' ship that would 'ave me. That ship was the Creation. Yer father weren't captain yet, 'e was jus' firs' mate." Jack pauses for another sip of rum and you try to take a sip of your vodka but find that the glass is empty. "My time aboar' the Creation taught me many things. One was 'ow ruthless pirates really are. On the way o'er ta Jamaica, the crew mutinied. I wen' along under the fear o' death. The man who led the mutiny was yer father." You give an indignant huff.  
"My father? Ye can' be serious!" You say and Jack looks taken aback.  
"D'ye wan' me ta tell ya the story or no'?" Jack asks, his eyes flashing fire. You look down into your empty glass and mumble that yes, you would like him to continue. Jack sighs and takes another gulp of rum. "As I was sayin', yer father led the mutiny and 'e killed the captain. I was scared fer me bloody life! The on'y reason I wen' along with the mutiny was 'cause I thought tha' they'd kill me too. Yer father was a tight- ; 'e ruled 'is crew with an iron fist. One step outta line and ye'd be flogged, or worse." Jack stops and gets up off your bed. He sets his mug down on the floor and pulls his shirt off over his head.  
"What're ye doin'?" You ask as Jack's shirt comes off over his head. You can see that he has a deep tan over his whole torso and as he pulls his shirt sleeves off his arms the muscles in his back ripple powerfully. You also notice that while he may be a deep gold on most of his torso, jagged pink lines run up and down his back. He turns around and you see that he's been shot twice in the chest, and has pink scars running across his arms.  
"Ye see luv? Bein' a pirate's no' all it's cracked up ta be." You get up off the bed and stand in front of him. "Those scars on me back? Yer father 'ad me flogged fer fergettin' ta call the 'im sir." You wrap your arms around Jack's neck.  
"I'm so sorry Jack. If I'd've known - " You begin, but Jack puts a finger to your lips.  
"There's nothin' ye could've done luv. Yer father 'ated me 'cause I was young an' strong. I didn' wilt under punishments neither, if anythin' they made me work 'arder. Yer father booted me off 'is ship when we sailed inter Tortuga with eigh' wor's: I'll kill ya if ya ever come back. Now ye see why I'm scared o' that bloody ship? No' many things scare me, bu' the Creation 'as me worried. We're pretty close ta Port Royal an' I wan' ta know what she's doin' 'ere." Jack finishes angrily and you hug him tighter. After a moment you step back and trace a scar on his shoulder, it curves into his chest, a thin pink line on his bronzed skin.  
"Where'd ya get that?" You ask. Jack looks down at the scar and seems to be pondering how he got it.  
"Bayonet." He says. "Bloody English soldier tried ta cut off me 'ead."  
"Damn good thing 'e missed eh?" You say, lightly kissing him on the nose. He catches your hand in his and kisses your fingers. "Ye're beautiful lass." He says quietly and you lay your head on his chest. Jack lifts your chin and traces your lips with a finger. He pulls you to him and presses his lips to yours. Kissing him back, you walk him back into the cabin wall. Jack grips your arms, and flips you onto your back against the wall. "Jack?" You ask huskily, surprised at the way you're acting. Jack ceases fumbling with your shirt buttons and looks at you.  
"Yes luv?" He asks, nuzzling his head into your neck. His mustache tickles your skin, sending shivers down your spine.  
"Jack," you breathe. "Jack, we can't do this." You say.  
"Why ever no'?" Jack asks. He stops kissing you and looks you in the eye.  
"The Creation's righ' outside, an' ye're on duty." You say and Jack makes an annoyed sound and kisses you soundly.  
"Duty? Aye!" He says and nuzzles your neck again.  
"No! We 'ave ta - " Jack shuts you up very effectively and you melt against him. "Jack!" You say and push him away. He looks hurt, so you put on a sultry smile and whisper huskily. "Save some fer tonigh'."  
"No worries luv, I got lot's." He says, and pushes you against the wall again. The door to your cabin is thrown open. Jack jumps away from you like a startled rabbit and pulls his shirt over his head. You turn away from the door and do up the buttons that Jack undid on your shirt.  
"Ye ever 'ear of bloody knocking?" You holler at the man standing in the doorway. He grins smugly and nods.  
"I did." He says, and you move to slap him. Jack catches your hand in midair.  
"Save some fer tonigh' lass." Jack whispers to you. You grin and brush some hair out of your eyes. "What d'ye wan'?" Jack asks the man in the door.  
"We're comin' up on the Creation, Cap'n." Jack nods and slams his hat onto his head. "Ana would like ta tell 'er Cap'n tha' ye we're righ' there is somethin' the matter with tha' ship. Oh, an' Jack?" The man asks, and Jack looks thoroughly annoyed.  
"What Jesse?" He says angrily.  
"Ye 'ave rouge on yer nose." The man laughs and Jack demands a mirror. You procure one for him and he wipes the rouge off his nose.  
"If ye'd care ta join me lass?" Jack asks you, offering his arm.  
"As if ye even 'ad ta ask." You both follow Jesse onto the deck of your ship and see that you are indeed coming up on the Creation. It sits just off your port bow and the Pearl is anchored on the other side. A stench of rotting flesh hits you like a hammer and you stick your face into Jack's shirt. It smells of rum and sea air. Jack's face is set in stone, but beneath his tan you can see that it is ashen.  
"Cap'n! Permission ta boar' with a party?" Jims asks you. You lift your face out of Jack's shirt and nod.  
"Permission granted, ask Jesse 'ere ta give ye a few men from the Pearl's crew. I wan' ta know wha' 'appened 'ere!" You say. Jims salutes you and moves off to talk to Jesse. You look into Jack's eyes and again see the sadness that lies deep within them.  
"We'll discover Creation's story luv, I promise." Jack says. You aren't sure, but it sounds more like a promise to him self than one to you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: And there you are...a new chapter...next one will be up as soon as I can get it typed. I wonder what could possibly be in that ship to make it smell that bad...I wonder what will happen next...will you and Jack ever get to have some privacy? And why haven't the crew learned about knocking, and not coming in if the door isn't answered? I leave you with those questions...Review? Please review? Yours, Merlana 


	6. Livin' Hell

A/N: Here we go...another chapter. I must warn you all, it's very graphic...this chapter is rated R, but only this chapter. That's about all I wanted to say on the subject. Thank-you to all my reviewers...Dirty Joke, Vanilla-Smoothie188, Ice Mage1014, CaptnKat, Stephanie, Twistedwords2003, Kitty, Jack -Sparrow -Lover-08, and last but not least, Luckysparrow. I love all you guys...so thanks very much. On with the next chapter this is it! Yours, Merlana~ Disclaimer: Merlana's disclaimer here, she's gonna do this chapter mostly freestyle....and she'd just like to say that she doesn't own POTC...and she's sure that honor belongs to Disney, or Jerry Bruckheimer Productions or some- such fiddle-faddle... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 6: Livin' Hell  
You are still standing on the deck of the Tiny Dancer; nearly an hour has passed since you sent your crewmen into the hold of the Creation. Ana is getting jittery, and you can't blame her, the whole thing stinks. Something feels wrong about this ship, not just the fact that it is anchored in the middle of the ocean and that it stinks like rotting flesh, but something else isn't right. Jack is tense and the arm that he has wrapped about your waist is taught. He's worried about something, you can tell. You run a hand lightly down his chest and he jumps and looks down at you.  
"What is it luv?" He asks.  
"Nothin' Cap'n." You say, than in a softer tone, "relax Jack, t'will be alrigh'." He sighs and you feel some of the tension in his arm dissipate.  
"Ye're righ' luv." Jack sys and pulls you closer. You nuzzle your face into his shirt and inhale the scent that is uniquely him. Rum, sea- air and sweat. "Don' be afraid luv." Jack says and you smile at his mistake.  
"I'm not." You say confidently. Jack puts on a patronizing smirk and pats you on the head.  
"O' course not luv, I wouldn' never 'ave though' o' it." He says and you glare at him, then smile because, all in all, he has made you feel more secure.  
"Cap'n! Commodore!" Comes a shout from the deck of the Creation. "We've found somethin'!" Jack lets go of you and walks towards his crewman. Someone by the name of Gibbs if you remember correctly. You follow after Jack, wondering what it is they could have found.  
"What did ye find Gibbs?" Jack asks. Gibbs bows his head.  
"I'm sorry Jack." He murmurs and steps back to reveal a body being carried by three men. The body is that of a young man, with dark hair reaching to his shoulders and dressed in the clothes of a humble working man. The whole body is covered in blood and filth. Jack's jaw drops and he orders the body brought to the Tiny Dancer. The man is carried carefully to the deck of the Tiny Dancer and you get a closer look at his face - or what's left of it. The man was severely beaten before your ship happened upon the Creation and he'd obviously been dead for quite a few days. Jack's face is tight and he refuses to look at you or the man being brought onto your ship. He lurches over to the rail and you can see him heaving up anything that he'd eaten today.  
"Jack?" You ask quietly, coming up behind him. He leans on the railing and wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. No tears fall from his eyes, but everything about him says he's taken a heavy emotional blow. You reach out and place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jack bristles at the contact and shakes off your hand. He storms off to his ship and you can make out his form climbing in the rigging toward the crow's nest. Sighing, you take charge.  
You look again at the man lying on the deck of your ship and try to decide what to do with the body. "I want some extra sailcloth brought up here!" You yell and Raycraft heads below decks to find some. "You!" You yell, pointing at a man on Jack's crew - Cotton - his parrot screeches and Quicksilver squawks. "Bring me some water and some clean cloths!" The man salutes you clumsily and goes off in search of some.  
"What are ye plannin' on doin'?" Gibbs asks you.  
"I'm plannin' on givin' 'im a proper seaman's burial." You snap and dismiss the man with a wave of your hand.  
"Ye can'! 'E's a landlubber. Port Royal's 'is 'ome, 'is wife is there." Gibbs protests, but you've already made up your mind.  
"'E'll get a proper burial at sea!" You say, slashing your hands through the air to emphasize the fact that the conversation is over. Gibbs shrugs and walks away to attend to some business of his. You see him take a drink from his flask and as he shudders when the alcohol hits his throat.  
"Got the sailcloth Cap'n!" Raycraft says and Cotton hands you the bucket of clean water and some clean cloths. You walk over to the body and carefully wash the blood from his face and hands. As you wash away the blood a familiar face emerges. A man you've spent time with lies dead in front of you. Will Turner is lying in front you. You blink back tears and continue your ministrations. You can barely tell it's him, his face is irreparable, he hardly looks like himself. The quiet blacksmith that you knew when you were a young girl in Port Royal lies dead in front of you. Soon all the blood is gone and you scrub at your eyes. Raycraft hands you the sailcloth and you gently wrap Will in it. Calling for rope, you attempt to left the bundle. Struggling, you pull the bundle toward the rail. Gibbs comes to your aid as you tie the rope around the sailcloth so it will stay wrapped around Will. Ana comes forward with a cannon ball and you weight the sailcloth with it. Jesse hands you a sword and you slip it between the sail cloth and the rope.  
"I'd like ter say a few words." Ana says, stepping forward. You nod. She pulls out a worn and tattered bible. You glance at her, surprised that you'd find such a thing on her person and she tenderly opens the cover to a page in the middle. She clears her throat and the men surrounding you fall silent. Tears form in your eyes and you are unable to hold them in. You notice that Katey has tears in her eyes as well, as does Ana. Ana's voice rings across the deck of the ship as she reads a passage from the bible. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wan'. 'E makes me lie down in green pastures; 'E leads me beside quiet waters. 'E restores my soul; 'E guides me in the paths o' righteousness fer 'Is name's sake." Ana pauses to take a steadying breath. You'd forgotten she could read. "Even though I walk through the valley o' the shadow o' death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod an' Thy staff they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence o' my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup o'erflows. Surely goodness an' lovin' kindness will follow me all the days o' my life, an' I will dwell in the house o' the Lord forever." Ana stops and closes her bible. "Thank ye Ana." You say graciously. She nods and wipes a hand across her eyes. "Will Turner, I commend yer body to the sea, an' your soul to the heavens. A place we'd all like to go, but one that most won' achieve. I pray ye fin' happiness." You nod to Raycraft and Jesse. They gently heave Will's body over the rail and let it drop into the sea. A silence drops over the crew of the two ships and you let it hang. Gibbs places a hand on your shoulder and you look up into his gruff face. "I'm sorry abou' earlier Cap'n, I was upset. I've known 'Lizbeth an' Will since they were li'l." Gibbs says, his voice catching on Elizabeth's name. You nod, in understanding. "Nothin' ta worry abou' Gibbs, we're all a bit shocked." You say, and Gibbs cracks a wan smile. You look up into the crow's nest of the 'Pearl and Gibbs follows your gaze. Realizing that you can't possibly see into the crow's nest from the deck you run over to the Black Pearl. Gibbs follows close at your heels. "Wait 'ere." You tell him as you climb the mast. Upon reaching the top you notice that Jack isn't in the crow's nest. "Cap'n? Is 'e up there?" Gibbs calls up to you. You look down over the edge of the lookout and shake your head. Gibbs throws up his hands and walks away toward the Tiny Dancer. You head down the mast and quietly knock on the door to the captains quarters. A muffled voice calls from within. "Come in." You open the door and find Jack's cabin in shambles. He's seated in the chair by his bed, a bottle of rum in each hand. He appears not to notice you as you come in and stand behind him. You massage his shoulders and he eases back into the chair. "Did ye fin' anyone else'?" Jack asks, his voice slurred and you stop massaging him. "No." You say and Jack sighs in relief. "Commodore! Cap'n! We've found someone else! 'E's alive!" Comes the cry from one of Jack's crewmembers. Jack jumps out of his chair and bounds toward the door. You follow not even two steps behind him. "Holy mother of God!" You cry. Ana is carrying a small child in her arms. You run toward her and take the boy from her arms. He is no more than ten years old. His hair is brown and curls softly over his forehead. In places it is matted with blood and you stifle a gasp. He seems to resemble Will in a way, but his features are more delicate. "God no!" Jack cries gruffly and you look at him startled. You carry the boy to your cabin on the Tiny Dancer and place him gently in your bed. Jack hovers around him, hindering more than helping. Ana sighs exasperatedly and you pull Jack aside. "Jack - " You are interrupted by a small moan from the boy. Jack rushes over to the bedside and takes the boys small hand in his large callused one. His facial expression is one of paternal love. You glance to Ana and she shrugs. "Jack, how do you know this child?" "No' 'ere luv." Jack says, moving rather reluctantly away from the young boy. He takes your hand and starts to pull you out of the cabin. You stop and Jack looks at you strangely.  
"I 'ave a funny feelin' I'm gonna need a strong drink." You say. You move through the throng of people in your cabin and reach into a cupboard under your desk. You pull out, not the bottle of vodka, but a bottle of strong brandy. Walking back to Jack you show him the brandy and he wraps his arm around your waist and hugs you close.  
Jack takes your hand and pulls you out into the sunshine. He walks toward the mainmast and climbs up to the crow's nest. He motions for you to follow him. You stuff the bottle of brandy into your belt. Taking the rigging in your hands you swing through it to the top of the mast. Jack sits watching the sea. You climb in beside him and pass him the bottle of brandy. He takes a swig and shudders.  
"Yer taste in alcohol is a bit strange luv." He says, you nod and take a swig yourself.  
"I know." You say. "'Ow do ye know the chil'? I also 'ave a question abou' Will. 'Ow come the chil' looks like Will?" Jack doesn't say anything for a long while. So long a while that you think perhaps he's forgotten what you asked. You open your mouth to ask again and Jack starts to speak.  
"The chil' is Will's son. They named 'im Jack after me. I was 'oping that 'e wouldn' be 'ere, bu' I guess that's too much ta ask, eh luv?"  
"Will's son? But 'ow?"  
"Him an' 'Lizbeth got married. They 'ad Jack nine months later. I can't believe that Will's dead."  
"He weren't supposed ta die. 'E was supposed ta stay on land an' be safe! 'E weren't supposed ta die!" Jack says gruffly. He scrubs at his eyes and you see two tears fall down his cheeks.  
"It's okay Jack. Let it out." You say, rubbing his back. You pull him to your chest and let him cry. When he quiets you kiss him lightly on the nose. "It's alrigh' Jack." You look into his eyes and instead of the sadness you expect, a burning rage fills his brown orbs.  
"I want to kill the s that did this ta Will!" He hisses.  
"No Jack. Killin' them won' make it any better." You say quietly.  
"Then what do ye suppose we do?" Jack yells. "Ye wan' us ta go up ta them an' ask all polite an' stuff no' ta 'urt me friends?"  
"No Jack. I wan' ta kill the as well. Bu' that won' be enough sufferin' fer them. Ye gotta make their lives a livin' 'ell." You take Jack's hand and look deep into his eyes. "We'll do this together, we'll fin' the s that did this to Will and li'l Jack, I promise."  
"You don' 'ave ta promise me that luv, I knows it already." Jack says. "What's yer plan then?"  
"We go ta Port Royal an' the Commodore wha' 'appened 'ere. We tell 'im all we know." You begin. "Then, we bring li'l Jack back to 'is mum an' explain ta 'er wha' 'appened."  
"Alrigh' luv. You remin' me more an' more each day o' someone I once knew." Jack says pensively.  
"An' 'ho might that be?" You ask. Jack shakes his head and you let it slide. Knowing Jack the story will be long winded and more than likely silly. Now is not the time for that kind of story. You decide to ask about it later.  
"Let's get the crew." Jack says. You both head over to the Tiny Dancer where the crews of both it's self and the Pearl are eating a subdued meal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: There....done...finally! Took me forever to write this chapter. I had a massive case of writer's block in the middle and had to go to a friend for help...my thanks Vanilla-Smoothie188, you go girl! Next chapter will be up soon...I hope.... Yours, Merlana~ 


	7. The Black Pearl

A/N: Aha! Yer in fer a treat 'ere! Y'ever wondered why Jack named 'is ship the Black Pearl? 

Yours

Merlana~

Disclaimer: How I would love to own Jack…the things I could think to do to him…*sighs* Anywho…don't own anything, never have, probably never will…

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Chapter 7: The Black Pearl

You and Jack are standing by the helm of the Black Pearl. The last three days have been hard on both of you. Jack especially, he took it upon himself to break the news of Will's death to li'l Jack. The poor kid, he took it pretty hard. You sigh and Jack looks at you out of the corner of his eye.

"Y'all righ' luv?" He asks quietly. You nod slowly. He smiles sadly and steps away from the wheel. He takes you into his arms and you lean back and stare at the stars above you.

"Jack?" You ask. 

"Mmm?" He replies, resting his chin on your shoulder.

"Ana told me somethin' afore I went ta dine with ye in Tortuga." You begin. Already you aren't sure that this was a good idea.

"What's tha'?" Jack asks. You take a deep breath and glance at the stars again.

"She says I looked like the woman ye named the Pearl after. 'Ho was she?" You ask. Jack sighs and hugs you tight to him. He turns you around so you are facing him and you look deep into the chocolate brown eyes that peer out at you from the tanned face that holds all your hopes and dreams. 

"'Er name, 'er proper name, was Lady Julietta Wardoth. She were a pretty lass, abou' seventeen. I was eighteen than. This is jus' after I arrived in Jamaica. I met 'er at the local tavern. 'Er father was the governor, an' I knew o' 'im an' 'is daughter. It were 'is daughter I really wanted ter meet though." Jack pauses there, and you look at him expectantly. He kisses you softly on the nose, and you pull him down to your face for a brief but passionate kiss of your own. When you pull away, Jack smiles seductively and runs a hand down your face.

"Easy luv." You purr. "Let's finish the story." You say and Jack pouts. You can't help but laugh, and Jack is soon laughing right along with you. You take a generous swig of rum from the bottle you always seem to be carrying around these days and pass it to Jack. He takes a swig and smacks his lips in enjoyment. 

"Where was I?" He asks you, nibbling your ear as he waits for you to answer. You swat at him and he ducks nimbly out of the way. 

"Lady Julietta?" You say, reminding him of where he was in the story.

"Ah yes, the Lady Julietta, known to me as Etta. She was gorgeous, 'ad long black hair, and 'er skin was as white as the clouds on a sunny day. She was tall, almost taller than me, an' she 'ad these eyes, tha' were like deep black pearls." Jack pauses and his face takes on a dreamy expression. You glare at him and snap your fingers in front of his closed eyes. He snaps back to reality, almost forcefully enough to pull you both to the deck of the ship. He looks down at you, and smiles contritely. You sigh and Jack laughs. He then proceeds to mimic you, over-exaggerating your sigh. You laugh, but swat him on the backside. He raises his eyebrows in question and pinches your behind.

"Jack!" You exclaim and he laughs, and twirls you about. "Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" You exclaim. Jack stops spinning you, but the world keeps going around. He lets go of you and you wobble for a moment before you hit the floor. You glare at Jack, but soon are laughing at his antics. He's spinning around circles loudly singing his favorite song. Reaching up, you catch on of his flailing arms and he stops spinning, you yank hard and he tumbles to the deck beside you. 

"'Ey!" He yells, and you gently place a finger to his lips.

"Ye were tellin' me a story, am I tha' distractin'?" You ask, smiling flirtatiously. 

"O' course ye are me luv." Jack replies. "On with the story then eh?" He asks, and you nod. He crosses his legs underneath him and you lean against his side. "So, Etta had these eyes, black pearls as I said. I didn' know she were the gov'nors daughter when I first met 'er, bu' I soon found out. We were -" Jack pauses, looking deeply into your eyes. You can see desire, but you can also again see that sadness that lingers in the happy captain's eyes. "We were, well we were - blast damn!"

"What is it Jack?" You ask sweetly, seeing his discomfort at discussing this subject with a woman.

"We were - you know what I'm talking about?" He asks. You shake your head innocently and pretend that you don't know what he's talking about. You've been trying for the past three days to get him to laugh and get him away from his brooding depression and this seems to be working, so you continue to play dumb.

"What were ya doin' Jack?" You ask sweetly. He just glares at you and sighs with frustration. "Ya don' mean - no! You an' 'er? No way!" You say vehemently as if just suddenly understanding him. Jack looks at you; he seems to be contemplating how much to tell you. 

"Me an' 'er. Well…we - uh…" Jack stutters for about five minutes as you smile innocently at his distress. "Blast damn woman! You know what we were doin'!" Jack says vehemently. You giggle and pinch Jack lightly on the arm. He jumps to his feet and when he recovers, smacks you on the arm. 

"Hey! Tha's no' very nice!" You squeal and Jack laughs. He pulls you to your feet and holds you to him. You snuggle close to him and he strokes you hair. 

"Ye still wan' ta 'ear the story?" Jack murmurs into your ear and you nod. He sighs and you laugh at the disappointment on his face. The man is going to have to try harder than that to get you into his bed. "Very well, bu' ya 'ave ta promise ol' Jack somethin'." Jack says slyly.

"Wha's that ya scheming Sparrow?" You ask. Jack hurriedly turns his laugh into a cough as you glare at him. If looks could kill, that man would be on his back ten times over. 

"Ye 'ave ta promise no' ta interrupt me anymore." Jack says solemnly. "An' ya 'ave ta promise me - " Jack is cut off as you claim his lips in yours.

"O' course Jack." You say. "I promise." He looks at you and you can see the barely suppressed desire in his eyes. You grin stupidly and pull him down to the deck with you. He lands heavily and you suppress a laugh as he moans and rubs his backside.

"Alrigh' ya li'l she-devil!" Jack says and you break into uncontrollable laughter. He looks at you quizzically and you stifle your laughter just long enough to mutter for him not to ask. He arches an eyebrow at you and settles beside you.

"Go on with the story? Please?" You say, batting your eyes at Jack. He rolls his and wraps an arm around your shoulders. You snuggle closer to him and he begins to tell you the story behind the Black Pearl.

"Alrigh', so me an' Etta, we met at a tavern in Jamaica. The reason I went o'er ta 'er was 'cause I was dared by one of me mates. 'E was a li'l man, named Jacob I think. 'E dared me ta go o'er to the pretty lady in the corner an' ask 'er ta spend the nigh' with me." Jack pauses and you look at him expectantly.

"Tha' were the firs' time I were slapped by a lady. She 'ad quite the arm. She slapped me so 'ard I landed on me arse on the floor. This woman, she laughed after that an' 'elped me to my feet. That were the first time I looked into 'er eyes. They were deep, black pearls. She tol' me 'er name than tol' me she 'ated it. She wouldn' let me call 'er anythin' other than Etta." Jack smiles faintly, remembering and you force the jealously you feel against this woman to the bottom of your list of emotions. You play with a strand of your hair as you wait for Jack to go on.

"Me an' 'er, we got close, an' everyone thought we'd get married. Then 'er father found us out. We were engagin' in the thing tha' young couples do - you know what I'm talkin' about. Don' give me tha' look." Jack says sternly as you eye him with a question in your eyes. You smile and nod, then lean against his shoulder. "It was a hot summer night, we'd been down ter the beach earlier an' she'd brought me 'ome ta meet 'er parents."

"Oh! That would have been interesting." You say. You can picture this woman's parent's faces at the man their daughter had brought home. Seeing that picture in your mind, you start to laugh and Jack looks at you and arches his eyebrow again. You stop laughing and Jack shifts his weight and gets to his feet.

"Ya said ye wouldn' interrupt me no more!" Jack whines and you pout as he glares at you. He rolls his eyes and stands, back to you, at the helm of his ship. "Anyway, she'd brought me 'ome ta meet 'er parents, an' they weren't there when we got there so we decided to pass the time. One thing led to another, an' when 'er parents finally cam 'ome we were both asleep in Etta's bed. O' course 'er parent's thought the worst when they saw us together, naked and sleeping - bu' that gave 'er father no righ' ta kick me out in only me skivvies!" Jack says vehemently, and a mental picture of Jack in his skivvies waltzes into your head. You blush and clear your throat. As much as you want Jack, you are not going to give into him until the moment is right.

"Etta was forbidden ta see me after that. Bu' that didn' stop us. We still managed to find time to be together. We were 'appy, bu' once again 'er father found us out. This time, he not only kicked me out on my arse again - wearin' nothin' - bu' 'e took Etta, an' the rest o' their family to another island." Jack says, and turns around. He pulls you to your feet and looking into his eyes, you see that deep sadness again, this time it's more pronounced. 

"Wha' 'appened then?" You ask. Jack pulls you close to him and nuzzles your neck. You linger there for a moment, then when he brings his face to yours you kiss him. After a minute, you break the kiss and look up at him again. 

"Where was I luv? Ye're so distractin'!" Jack mutters and you pinch him in the arm. He yelps and skitters away from you. 

"Etta's family took 'er away from you?" You prompt and Jack leans back against the rail.

"'Er father took the family ta live on one o' the barrier islands. I thought I'd lost 'er forever, bu' then one day I 'eard o' a ship that was makin' a run by the islands. It were takin' supplies ta a 'ouse on one of them. I signed on as a crewman an' when we got there, I jumped ship." Jack says. He looks away, across the ocean. You follow his eyes, expecting to see something special, but all you see is the night sky and the black water. "She was there, in all 'er glory. We spent one night together before 'er father found us." Jack shudders visibly; it's obviously a bad memory.

"'E pulled us apart, an' took a shot at me. Etta - Etta, she jumped in the way. "E hit 'er. I didn' know wha' ta do. So I 'eld 'er in me arms until she died. 'Er father 'ung 'imself that night. They buried 'er on that island." Jack stands at the rail quietly and you reach up a hand to his shoulder. He turns at your touch and you smile sadly. 

"To Etta!" You say forcefully, raising the bottle of rum to the sky. Jack mimics you and nods. He pulls you close. 

"I named the ship after 'er 'cause in 'er dyin' breath she said that no matter where I was she'd always be with me." Jack pauses, taking a steadying breath. You snuggle close to his chest, breathing in the scent that is so uniquely Jack. "This way, I know I 'ave a part o' 'er with me, all the time." 

"That's very nice Jack. Yer so romantic." You say, trying hard to keep the jealousy out of your voice. It must not have worked, because Jack steps away from you looking angry.

"I don' know 'ow ta tell ye this luv - " Jack begins, but you cut him off.

"Look, if ye don' wan' me aroun' I'll disappear. Jus' don' lead me on like this. I don' deserve it!" You say, and stomp away from him. A single tear threatens to escape your control and you blink your eyes furiously to keep it hidden, pirates don't cry. How could he do this to you? Make you think he wants you and then tell you this story? You did ask to hear it though, so you can't lay all the blame on Jack.

"(Your name)! I never said tha'! What I wanted te tell ya, what I wanted to say to you," Jack moves toward you but stops at the icy glare you give him. "All I wanted to say was that I - I think I love you." He admits. Your heart melts at the sight of him, so open and bare. You stand still by the helm and Jack comes over to you. You look into those chocolate eyes that make the world stop spinning and reach your hand to brush his jaw. He pulls you close.

"Jack?" You say huskily, and Jack nods. "I think I loves ye as well." He pulls you to him and claims your lips for a fiery kiss that leaves you both breathless. Pulling away from you, he takes hold of your hand and kisses your fingertips gently.

"I know I loves ye (your name)." He says, his voice husky and rich. You kiss him again and whisper into his ear.

"Put your hands on me Jack." He pulls you toward his cabin and smiling slyly, locks the door behind you both.

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A/N: You didn't actually think I was going to write the details did you? Dirty, dirty people! What Jack does behind closed doors is his business…and it will stay that way…I think…unless I change the rating and/or get asked profusely to write the scenes…

Yours,

Merlana~


	8. A Gathering Storm

A/N: I'm baaaaaack! Thought I'd died did ya? Well…sorry to all those who want me to write the scenes…I'm not gonna as of yet…leave a little bit up to the imagination, eh? Besides…it makes it that much better for you to read, cause then you get to decide on what happens behind that locked door…*wink, wink* 

Ummm, what else did I want to say…Oh yeah…all you Norrington likers out there, I would not suggest reading this chapter…this chapter is considerably darker than some of the other ones…just a warning…

Yours,

Merlana~

Disclaimer: Merlana's disclaimer says: She doesn't own anything! She would like to say that she'd really like to own something though…perhaps Jack? Or, maybe she could just own a piece of him?

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Chapter 8: A Gathering Storm

The sun streams in through the grimy window of Jack's cabin on the Black Pearl. In the last two days, you've left the cabin only seven times; to eat, swim and play tag with Jack Sparrow and Jack Turner. The rest of the time during those past days was filled with copious amounts of rum, laughter, and sex. You yawn lazily and stretch as a cat would, as you lie wrapped in Jack's embrace. The bed sheets are a tangled mess around yours and his waists and his tanned torso and your stomach are already covered in a sheen of sweat. The last week has been abnormally hot and humid and even you can tell that a storm is on its way. 

The heavy air oppresses any thought of getting up and you snuggle closer to Jack delighting in the goose bumps that appear on your skin at the contact with his. He murmurs something about eggs and sighs deeply. You smile, and then close your eyes and drift back to sleep wrapped in the protective embrace of the one man you never thought you'd be sleeping with.

Sometime later, you awaken to find that the ship has stopped moving. You reach out instinctively for Jack and find that he's not there. You are assaulted by the idea that you've been captured. You brush that thought aside and instead you decide that you've arrived in Port Royal and Jack has gone to see Elizabeth. You slide slowly out of the bed and begin to dress. You put on your long black skirt and a loose white shirt that was once Jack's. You run a hand through your hair and decide that a hat would be a good accessory today. You grab Jack's tri-cornered one and place it at a jaunty angle on your head. You next rummage through one of the drawers in his desk and find his stash of kohl. You do your eyes quickly and then call Quicksilver, who flies down from his perch to land on your shoulder.

You slip out the door, expecting to be greeted by sunshine, but are instead greeted by the barrel of a rifle and the face of an unhappy British soldier. 

"Leave 'er alone Norrington," comes the slightly slurred voice of your favorite pirate. You turn your head to find him and discover that he is manacled at the wrists and held between to large soldiers. 

"What's goin' on 'ere?" you ask of the assembly in general, trying hard to keep the tremor of fear out of your voice.

"This is your wench Sparrow?" drawls Norrington, looking you up and down. You suddenly feel very exposed and flush a deep red. "Thought you'd be able to do better than that," Norrington mutters.

Jack makes an angry sound and tries to break free, but your right arm is quicker. A sharp slap is heard and Norrington steps back rubbing his jaw. He growls menacingly and grabs a handful of your hair and slams you against the cabin wall hard enough to make your teeth rattle. You hiss in pain as he wrenches your hair out of your head. Jack struggles furiously to reach you until one of the soldiers holding him takes the butt of his rifle to the back of Jack's head. Jack goes limp in their arms. You make a frightened noise and struggle against Norrington's grip on your hair. He backhands you across the face and you cry out in pain.

"Don't try anything wench!" Norrington spits out, then throws you to the ground. You land hard and slump, shaking with fear. "The 'Pearl is ours gentlemen," Norrington intones and his men cheer.

"(Your name)? Cap'n? Are you all right?" calls a small voice. You look up from the ground and meet the eyes of young Jack Turner. He is hiding beneath the staircase up to the helm and you motion for him to be quiet, it's too late however and Norrington grabs the boy by the arm and hauls him out from under the stairs.

"Jack Turner?" Norrington asks, and little Jack nods sullenly. "Where's your father?" Jack Turner glances at the still out cold Jack Sparrow and at you, then back at Norrington.

"'E's dead sir," little Jack replies. Norrington looks taken aback and his mouth drops open. For a moment you have a strange vision of him catching flies.

"And how is it that you came to be aboard the Pearl lad?" Norrington asks, and the boy again glances at you before answering.

"Ana found me sir."

"Where were you before you were aboard this ship?"

"I was aboard the Creation. Father and I was out lookin' fer Cap'n Sparrow an' 'is ship. Then the crew jus' started hurtin' my da, so I tried to stop them. I don't member nothin' else," Jack Turner says quietly. 

"I see," Norrington says. "Wench! How'd you find the boy?"

"It's like 'e tol' ya Commodore! We was bringin' 'im 'ome to 'is mama. Will's dead, we buried 'im at sea," you say defiantly. Norrington sniffs and turns away from you to face his men.

"I hereby place Jack Sparrow under arrest for the murder of William Turner and the subsequent kidnap of his small son Jack Turner," he shouts. A collective gasp goes up from the crew of the 'Pearl and you jump to your feet indignantly.

"'E didn't do anythin'! You rotten ! Leave 'im alone! Will was 'is best friend, d'you really think 'e killed 'im?" you shriek. Norrington rounds on you, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Sparrow dies at sunset," he growls then pushes you away from him. Quicksilver swoops low and goes for Norrington's face. Norrington calmly takes aim with his pistol and shoots. Quicksilver falls out of the air in a flurry of feathers and lands at your feet.

"Quicksilver!" you gasp, bending down to finger the tiny feathered head. You look up at Norrington, to find he's smiling smugly and leap at him, hands first. You go straight for his eyes but succeed only in raking your nails across his left cheek, leaving an angry red scratch that starts to bleed. Norrington grabs both of your wrists in one hand and throws you away with him. You fly into the cabin wall and hit your head hard. The last thing you hear is jeers and laughter from Norrington's men and an anguished cry from Jack Turner. Jack Sparrow, who came around after the declaration of his arrest, breaks free for a moment and races toward you. He is stopped by a hard hit to the gut and doubles over in pain. His eyes lock onto yours and you mouth 'I love you' just before darkness claims you.

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A/N: Short chapter, I know…but it does what it needs to do…like always I ask for people to tell me what they think…thanks to all my faithful reviewers…

Yours,

Merlana~ 

  
  
  
  



	9. A Clash Of Titans

A/N: Wow...I get bribed with Jack Sparrow clones and cookies and you guys get a new chapter...y'all should thank **Jackspearl**...she reviewed and bribed me...thank you to all my other reviewers...especially those for my new songfic...Stay With Me...Just to let you know, we're coming up on home stretch here...only a few things left to tie up...and then I may write a small epilogue...this is another chapter I should warn any Norrington likers about...yet another dark chapter...happy is coming...someday...gotta get out of trouble first...  
  
Yours,  
  
Merlana  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing...but not for lack of trying I'll have you know...

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Chapter 9: A Clash Of Titans  
  
You open your eyes and immediately regret the action. Even in the dim light of the cell, your eyes are tearing. Your head throbs painfully, and your right shoulder feels like someone stood upon it. You can feel seeping out of a cut on your forearm and another on your cheek. Jack's worried face swims into view above you and you try for a smile. Your smile ends up being a grimace of pain as Jack gently dabs a piece of his shirt onto your cheek and your arm.  
  
"Look who's finally decided ta come back ta the land o' the livin'," Jack mutters. You roll your eyes and Jack smiles broadly. "'Ey! Gibbs! Git the lady some water!"  
  
"Aye Cap'n," calls the burly, gruff-voiced quartermaster of the 'Pearl.  
  
"Gibbs?" you ask hoarsely, and Jack nods.  
  
"The Tiny Dancer was taken luv, both crews are 'ere," Jack answers. You nod weakly, then look up into his chocolate eyes and silently ask if everyone is okay. "Everyone's fine luv, stop worryin'," Jack replies.  
  
"'Ere Cap'n," Gibbs says, handing Jack a shallow bowl filled with water. Jack gently lifts your head and pours the water down your throat.  
  
"Thanks," you say after Jack has finished. You sit and realize belatedly that hitting your head does not make for being able to sit up comfortably. Your head spins sickeningly and you start seeing doubles of Jack's worried face. Eventually, the spinning ceases and you reach out to Jack. He takes your hand in his and gently, so as not to injure your already injured shoulder, lifts you to your feet. Your head starts swirling again and you fall into Jack and shut your eyes tight against the spinning world.  
  
"It's okay luv, jus' relax," Jack's soothing voice cuts through your wave of nausea and dizziness. You open your eyes slowly to find that the spinning has stopped and your racing heart begins to slow. You take a few deep breaths to calm yourself while Jack rubs your back.  
  
"Cap'n?" Gibbs asks, his voice sounding apprehensive. You turn around to look at him and he nods to the door of the cell. You look over at the door and stifle a gasp of . Norrington stands nonchalantly in the cell doorway, his sneering face watching Jack.  
  
"Ah, isn't that lovely," Norrington drawls.  
  
"Aye, Commodore, she is," Jack snarls in return. "What d'ya want?"  
  
"Your lass," Norrington begins and Jack's arms tighten around your waist possessively. "She's a navy ." The color drains out of your face and Jack's eyes turn stormy. "And, since she's turned pirate, I'm going to have to hang her as well," Norrington says, barely masking the glee in his voice.  
  
"Ye'll be leavin' 'er alone," Jack says, his voice low and ly. Goose bumps rise on your exposed skin at the knife-sharp edge Jack's voice has taken. Some of the other crewmembers in the cell with you, namely Ana, Raycraft, Katey and Jesse, all take a few steps back from Captain Sparrow.  
  
"Well, since you'll be by then, it shouldn't matter anyway," Norrington intones. Jack's face goes stony and the color drains out from under his tan.  
  
"Jack, jus' relax. I'll pay the consequences," you say, planting a firm hand on Jack's chest to stop him from doing anything stupid. Jack looks deep into your eyes as if searching for something.  
  
"Over my body," Jack states seriously. "I've lost one, I ain't losin' another," Jack murmurs. You feel overwhelmed by the power of the emotion in that statement. Jack grips you firmly around the waist and hugs you to him. Gibbs moves over to stand sort of half in front of the pair of you. Ana and Raycraft follow suit. Katey, Jesse and the other's gather behind and off to the side, bristling with anger.  
  
"As I said Sparrow, you'll be by then so it shouldn't matter much," Norrington says. "Your last meal Captain Sparrow," Norrington says, but the use of Jack's title is sarcastic and not truly respectful.  
  
"It's Commodore Sparrow now, Norrington," Jack says. Norrington snorts and throws a piece of stale bread into the cell. The bread hits Jack on the arm and he doesn't even blink.  
  
"Wench!" Norrington barks at you and Ana and Katey bristle with anger, obviously Jack has told them about what happened on the 'Pearl. "You're coming with me!" Norrington nods to two men off to one side of the cell door. The pair pf them are big, muscled and strong. Their faces are in identical expressions of disgust as they enter the cell. None of the surrounding pirates try anything. The pair reaches you and Jack and each one takes one of your arms.  
  
You struggle vainly for a few moments and then give in to them. Jack has stepped back, and you grab his hand.  
  
"I love you," Jack says fervently, and Norrington snorts in disbelief.  
  
"I'll come back for you Jack," you say, and the men drag the two of you apart. You are pulled into the dank corridor and the cell door is slammed shut. You turn for one last look at Jack and see that he looks forlorn and a little bit lost. Gibbs is standing beside him, and they are talking quietly. Ana looks panic-stricken and Raycraft, Katey and Jesse are standing mouths agape at Norrington.  
  
"We'll be back at sunset for Sparrow," Norrington drawls, and a man you don't know, one of Jack's crew throws himself at the door, Norrington steps back and spits on the crewman. Norrington then turns around to face you. He nods to both of his men and they pull you roughly out of the jail and onto the street outside.  
  
"Where are you takin' me?" you ask. No one answers your question and you let out a string of curses under your breath. Norrington turns around.  
  
"Little spitfire aren't you?" he says quietly, his voice carrying an undertone of jealousy. You glare at him and move to scratch him again, the lines on his face where you got him earlier are still an angry red. "Now, now," Norrington drawls and the man holding your right arm wrenches it hard. You cry out in pain, and tears spring to your eyes.  
  
"You ," you mutter, just under your breath. Norrington still seems to hear you and laughs quietly to himself. You are pushed forward and stumble a little over the uneven cobblestones.  
  
They march you up toward the governor's mansion, and your mind turns to remember the times when you were a little that you climbed this hill to play with Elizabeth, and you wonder how she will greet you now. You are pushed into the driveway and up the front stairs. A grim-faced butler answers Norrington's knock and ushers everyone into the parlor.  
  
As you enter the plush room, your eyes take in the expressions of the people who are waiting for you. Phineas Swann, ex-governor of Port Royal stands behind his daughter with a grim and determined expression on his face. Elizabeth's face is tear-streaked and her eyes flash in anger as you step into the room. Little Jack sits beside his mother on the sofa and his is the only face in the room that seems even remotely happy for your appearance. The two men release you and Norrington pushes you forward.  
  
"You are a captain of a Navy vessel, what possessed you to join Sparrow?" Swann asks. You look at Elizabeth and you can see that she doesn't understand any more than Swann does.  
  
"She was coerced sir," Norrington says, a dangerous edge to his voice. "We found her vessel off the coast, a skeleton crew was aboard."  
  
"Then you would have seen the Creation!" you blurt out, and Norrington shakes his head.  
  
"All we saw was the Tiny Dancer, and your pirate crew," he adds with a sneer.  
  
"But the Creation, she was there – we was guardin' 'er, so you'd know we - " you trail off when it dawns on you that Norrington wouldn't have found out where the Tiny Dancer was from any crewman, much less have been able to take it by happening upon it by chance.  
  
The pieces begin to fall into place, it was all a setup – just so Norrington could capture Jack. But why Will? And why Will's son?  
  
"No, there was no such ship anywhere around," Norrington snaps, "stop lying to the – Governor's wife."  
  
You notice the slight hesitation as Norrington talks about Elizabeth. Another piece in the puzzle – Norrington's desire to be governor, and his desire for Elizabeth have overridden any sense of morality in him. You gasp as you realize that he had Will killed and tried to have little Jack killed as well, so he could be governor. An added perk of course was the easy capture of Jack Sparrow and yourself.  
  
"Commodore?" Phineas begins, "must you hang the poor ? After all, you said yourself that she was coerced." You thank your lucky stars that Phineas is still alive and kicking, one more obstacle for Norrington to override before he can take over completely.  
  
"She is a pirate, and pirates must be hung. We must follow the letter of the law in this matter," Norrington says placidly.  
  
"I beseech you then Commodore, let her go on some lesser charge," Phineas requests. You are surprised to hear the ex-governor of Port Royal begging like this in front of the Commodore. Apparently, the tangled web that Norrington is weaving covers more than you had thought.  
  
"Papa! She as good as killed Will! How could you stand up for her?" Elizabeth shouts, getting to her feet and coming up to you.  
  
"Liz! I didn' kill Will, neither did Jack fer that matter! 'E was already when we got there!" You cry, all the while trying desperately to come up with a plan to get out of this.  
  
"He was already ?" Elizabeth whispers, she flops done on the sofa again, and closes her eyes as they fill with tears again.  
  
"Then who killed him?" Phineas asks into the tense silence. Norrington sends his two bodyguards out of the room, and takes a place behind you, a hand on your right shoulder. The hand grips our shoulder far too hard and you grit your teeth against the pain.  
  
"Ask the y Commodore," a familiar, slightly slurred voice says. You whirl around, wrenching your shoulder from Norrington's grip in the process and thereby causing yourself immense pain. The sight of Jack's sword at Norrington's neck, and the fierce determination on Jack's face greets your watering eyes.  
  
"Jack! 'Ow did you - " you begin but trail off as Jack's sword prods deeper into Norrington's neck. A bead of red drips onto the bleached white collar of Norrington's shirt.  
  
"Ask the y Commodore 'ho killed Will," Jack's voice has gone knife-sharp and too quiet. His body is too relaxed and his sword is too steady.  
  
Norrington has gone from his usual pale white, to a pasty greenish color. Elizabeth rises to her full height, and eyes flashing she stands nose to nose with Norrington.  
  
"Tell me James, who killed my husband?" Elizabeth says sweetly. Norrington gulps, his adam's apple coming very close to the tip of Jack's sword.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about my lady," Norrington says, a genuine bewilderment in his face.  
  
"Ah come off it Norrington, ye know what I'm talkin' about," you snarl. Jack pulls back a little on his sword, clearly not sure anymore about threatening a man of the navy.  
  
"I'll have you arrested for the indignity of this!" Norrington yells, his voice squeaking a little bit. You gently pull your very sharp dagger from its sheath and flash the blade at Norrington.  
  
"You see, I know, an' you know, an' if ya tell someone else the truth, then we can all go home," you say, running your finger along the blade. "The man who sold me this tol' me it was sharp enough to split 'air, d'ya wanna try?"  
  
"(Your name)," Jack says low and menacing. You glare at him, Norrington is the culprit here, and you are going to prove it with or without Jack's help.  
  
"Yes Sparrow, call off your bitch," Norrington chuckles. Your knife is at his throat, replacing Jack's sword before either man can move.  
  
"Don' ya dare move Norrington," you growl. Norrington's hands move toward his belt for his sword but yours are quicker and a resonating clang is heard as your sword and his crash together in mid air. The vibrations from the hit send shocks of pain up your arm and proceed to set fire to the wound in your shoulder. You hiss and grit your teeth to keep from screaming. Jack has backed away from you, and is huddled with Elizabeth.  
  
"I wouldn't try to fight me, you'll just lose anyway," Norrington says haughtily. You snarl like an angry cat and the battle begins. Slash, thrust, parry, Norrington's sword is a blur and yours meets his time after time. You spin away from a slash that would have removed your left hand and drive deep into Norrington's opening. pours from the open gash.  
  
"What was that you said?" you ask ly, and Norrington howls with rage. He comes on fast and hard, swinging his sword haphazardly and so fiercely, it's a wonder he hasn't managed to decapitate you. Norrington finds an opening and slices your arm open from elbow to wrist. You fall to the ground and he stands over you, sword raised in triumph.  
  
"You'll pay dearly for this Captain," Norrington says happily. You groan in pain and lift your eyes to meet Jack's. His eyes are distant and you can see that his emotions are getting the better of him.  
  
"Jack, please," you cry softly. Jack looks down at you, his eyes seem to slide into focus and he snaps back to reality again. He stands over you, his arms crossed and his eyes flashing.  
  
"Norrington, there are those 'ere 'ho feel like they're no' getting the truth outta you."  
  
"Oh really, and what would you propose we do?" Norrington asks, his voice dripping with disdain.  
  
"Jack, he did it! He killed Will!" you scream, and try to raise yourself to your feet. Jack looks at you. "Think man, the Creation – why was it there of all places? The Tiny Dancer – how would Norrington have found it? Think, what could he gain from ing the Governor?"  
  
Jack's face grows stormy and you can see the wheels turning in his head. A dangerous smile lights up his tanned face as the puzzle forms itself in his mind. "Murderin' the Governor? An' then tryin' ta blame the one pirate you ne'er caught?"  
  
"James? Is this true?" Elizabeth asks. Norrington looks at her, and Elizabeth shivers with disgust. You gently pull another dagger from your belt and make like you are going to throw it at Norrington. He jumps out of the way and your throw matches his new place, the dagger flies end over end and hits Norrington hilt-first on the side of the head. Norrington sways for a moment and then topples over like a rag-doll.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait...it's just that it's exam time and my life has suddenly become filled with ever increasing amounts of studying...hope that this chapter was worth the wait...  
  
Yours,  
  
Merlana


	10. The End Of An Era

A/N: Okay…now I've had a few reviewers who seem to think that they have killed wonderful Commodore Norrington…but alas, 'tis not to be…as you will soon see…this should be the last official chapter…it will hopefully be long and clear up any questions that have arisen…should you still have some, feel free to email me merlanademonchild666yahoo.ca…I will hopefully be able to answer your questions…

Yours,

Merlana

Disclaimer: Aha! I've got ye know ya little thief! No, no, no, see, I'm not making any money off this story, I'm writing it for my own enjoyment, so I'm not thieving it…Oh…well…then…None of the recognizable characters belong to me…they all belong to Disney…so sue me…

Chapter 10: The End Of An Era

There is an uneasy silence after Norrington hits the floor with an almighty thump. Jack finds his voice first.

"Um, luv, ya know ya jus' killed the Commodore?" he asks, and you shake your head.

"The 's not dead Jack, jus' out cold. I didn' hit 'im hard enough ta kill 'im," you reply, and get shakily to your feet. Jack moves quickly to your side and you lean on him, grateful for the support.

"So, what do you propose we do now luv?" Jack asks, his voice seems to come from a long way away and your vision blurs. Blood loss has made you rather weak, and you fade in and out of consciousness. The world goes black around you and you sink gratefully into the painless sleep of a comatose state.

The next time you open your eyes, you are surrounded by pirates, doctors and navy officers. You blink sleepily, and test out your arm. It is bandaged heavily and feels strange. You take a look around yourself and meet eyes with every pirate in the room. Elizabeth comes over and takes your unharmed hand in hers.

"Thank you for uncovering the truth Captain," she says quietly with her eyes downcast. You nod slowly. "The Commodore came around and we were able to wrangle the truth out of him quite soon after. He was put to the noose at dawn the next day."

"How long?" you mutter and Elizabeth smiles gently.

"Two weeks," she says. Your mouth drops open and you shake your head.

"No, no way, where's Jack?" you ask, your mouth suddenly very dry.

"Right 'ere luv," Jack says, sidling over to you from behind a clump of pirates. You breathe a sigh of relief and smile. A black garbed doctor comes forward. He takes your wrist and checks your pulse, timing it with a look at his pocket watch. The doctor smiles, and pats you gently on the forehead.

"Now miss, you're going to have to be careful, you lost a lot of blood and had some rather nasty internal injuries to boot. You can't leave quite yet I'm afraid," the doctor says in a serious tone. Jack nods, and you nod as well. Elizabeth is gently shooing the crowd out of your room and when everyone is gone but you, her and Jack she kisses you on the cheek and smiles softly.

"Thank you Liz, fer everything," you say hoarsely, and motion to Jack that you want a glass of water.

"It was nothing (your name), just glad to see that the truth came out," Elizabeth says and walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. You take the proffered glass of water from Jack and gulp it down.

"I thought I'd lost you luv," Jack begins, but you place a finger to his lips.

"Shhh, don't talk," you say. Jack smiles slyly and plops himself down on the bed beside you. You take one of his calloused hands in yours and trace all the scars that cover it. Jack watches you while you do this and he seems to be thinking about something. You look up at him and try to figure out what else is in his chocolate eyes.

"I have something to tell you luv," Jack says, pulling his hand from yours. Tears spring unbidden to your eyes, anticipating bad news of some sort.

"What is it Jack?" you ask, already rebuilding the walls that crumbled when Jack touched you.

"When Norrington was takin' you away, all I could think about was how I was supposed ta go on without you there beside me. I realized then that no matter what, I'm never gonna be able ta look at another woman without thinkin' o' you, so I'm askin' ya, please keep me from ever havin' ta look at another woman. Will you make me the 'appiest man on this earth an' accept my proposal of marriage?"

"Oh Jack! I don' know what ta say, I mean, I know that ya 'ave a reputation ta keep up, and livin' as a pirate does in no way cater ta havin' a fam'ly," you say cautiously, and Jack's smile fades. "Bu' I'm not sayin' no jus' yet, I jus' wan' ta think about it, I don' wanna rush inta somethin' that I'm no' ready fer."

Jack slides off the bed and moves away from you. You can see he is torn between making a run for it and trying to keep his emotions in check.

"Is that it then?" he asks, his voice thick. You shake your head and smile gently.

"Jack, I can't tell you how much I care for you, how much I love you – what you 'ave ta know is that I'm still in shock. I don' rightly know what 'appened or 'ow ya got outta jail, Jack I'm not really sure about anythin' right now, let alone whether I want ta jump into marriage," you say, reaching out to take Jack's hand. He doesn't accept your touch and storms out of the room, his brown eyes flashing the fire of a broken heart.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Cursing at anything that moves in the room, you glare daggers at the view from the window. Your mind turns to remembering the moment that you fell in love with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, the drawing that captured every nuance of his face and mind.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," you muse, and you reach for a piece of parchment and a piece of charcoal. You pull the paper close to you, and begin to draw the picture that will hold the words that you can't speak.

When Elizabeth pokes her head in the door you are nearly done, and motion for her to come in.

"Something I can do?" she asks. You nod and show her the drawing. Elizabeth's eyes widen and she covers her mouth with her hand. The other hand trembles as she holds the piece of parchment.

"Are you alrigh'?" you ask gently. Elizabeth nods her head and settles onto a chair beside your bed.

"Why did you draw this? Does it have something to do with the way that Jack stormed out of here?" Elizabeth asks. You have to give the girl credit, she knows what's what around here.

"Yes Liz, it does," you say wearily. Elizabeth hands the drawing back to you and you carefully place it beside you on the bed.

"Tell me," Elizabeth demands.

"Well, you see it all started in Tortuga," you begin and proceed to tell Elizabeth the whole story from beginning to end of your time with Jack. When you are done, Elizabeth smiles and takes your hand.

"I know Jack, he'll be back. He can't resist a beautiful woman, especially one that he asked to marry him," Elizabeth says. You look into her eyes and see the quiet wisdom that resides there.

"I love him Liz, I just don't know how to tell him."

"You'll figure it out. By the way, Ana and Katey tell me they have a surprise for you."

"They do?" You ask, wondering what on earth Ana and Katey have planned. Elizabeth smiles again, and you see a twinkling of mischief in her eyes. She stands and then helps you out of bed and to your feet. You make shaky but steady progress down the stairs. The drawing is left forgotten on your bed.

In the foyer Katey and Ana stand waiting for you. Katey looks apprehensive and Ana a bit worried. You smile and life your hand in greeting. Katey squeals in a most unpirate-like way and runs to meet you. Ana follows, more subdued and they both wrap you in a bone crushing hug,

"Jus' wait 'til I've tol' you 'ow Jack got outta that cell!" Katey says, her face flushed with excitement. You roll your eyes at Ana who laughs and takes your hand.

"Come on! Hurry!" Ana says, pulling you along after herself. Elizabeth follows at a distance and Katey hangs back to talk to her.

"Jus' what is goin' on 'ere?" you ask, and Ana shakes her head.

"I can't tell ya, all I can say is that yer gonna love it."

"Aw, c'mon Ana, tell me?" you whine, but Ana just shakes her head and laughs. You notice that she is pulling you toward the docks and toward the Black Pearl. You plant your feet and Ana stops pulling.

"What's wrong Cap'n?" Ana asks, her face worried.

"No, I'm not goin'," you say.

"Yes ya are luv, even if I 'ave ta carry ya!" Jack's voice whispers into your ear. You whirl away from him and Ana and take off in a dead run toward the jungle. Jack's shoulders slump and Ana stands looking tired. Katey and Elizabeth come running over.

"We have to go after her!" Elizabeth cries, but Jack shakes his head.

"Shoulda known that would happen, 'we' don' 'ave ta go after her, 'I' do," he says and meanders slowly toward the wood.

You stumble through the underbrush, blinded by tears of frustration and trip over a root. You fall and jar your shoulder. You cry out and hiss in pain. "God," you mutter, "that smarts!" You get into a sitting position and grip your shoulder hard.

"I'll bet it does luv," a voice, slightly slurred and sounding tired says from behind you. You jump at the touch of a hand on your back and Jack slides to the ground beside you. He wraps an arm around your waist and hugs you close, "why'd you run off?" He asks, lifting your head with a finger under your chin.

"Jack, I…" you begin, and turn away from him. Those eyes could look right down into your soul, "I…Jack, I love you."

Jack inhales sharply and twists you around so he can see your face, "I loves ye as well sweetheart," he says gently. He leans in and captures your lips in his for a brief kiss, "but you still haven't told me why ya ran off when Ana brought ya back to the 'Pearl," Jack intones slowly.

"I ran off because I didn' want...I didn't…" you stumble and sputter, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. Finding that you don't have one, you hang your head, "I don't know Jack…I don't know."

"Luv, it's alright," he says, hugging you close, "I came on a bit strong didn't I?" Jack asked and you nod slowly, "But the question still stands, an' I'll not wait forever, just most of that time."

"Oh Jack," you cry and bury your head into his chest. "I will marry you, I'll marry you tomorrow if you want!" you exclaim. Jack smiles and wraps his arms around you in a bear hug. He finds your lips with his and plants a fiery kiss on them. You return the kiss and Jack slips a ring on your finger. It's a silver band that carries the symbol of infinity and you pull away from the kiss. The ring on your hand replaces the one that you had before being taken prisoner.

Jack stands and pulls you to your feet, "C'mon luv, lets go back to the ship." You nod and lean into him as the both of you head back to the ship. When you arrive there the crews of the Tiny Dancer and the Black Pearl greet you with cheers and much sword rattling.


End file.
